Viroqua Freemasons La Belle

03/06/2025

WM Hanson congratulations to a Brother Lee on an upcoming record maple sap run!

03/09/2021

🚨 Print Shop Production Opening 🚨

Duties include:
- Operating production copy machines.
- Operating bindery equipment such as folders and cutters.

We are looking for a self-motivated person to work in the back room of a printshop on all production work. A printing background is very helpful, along with mechanical and technical skills. Knowledge of computers is necessary. Must be able to work with little supervision, be able to meet deadlines, and keep work flowing with high quality and accuracy. Must work well with others. Be able to lift 50 lbs. Good driving record also helpful. All work is done on-site and cannot be done remotely.

We are a team working together as employees and customers providing a quality product on time. Typically, no late nights or holiday work. Overtime is available when the workload calls for it.
Experience will determine wages.

11/20/2020

09/28/2020

THE OLD MASTER’S WAGES

I MET A DEAR OLD MAN TODAY
WHO WORE A MASONIC PIN.

IT WAS OLD AND FADED, LIKE THE MAN
ITS EDGES WERE WORN QUITE THIN.

I APPROACHED THE PARK BENCH WHERE HE SAT,
TO GIVE THE OLD BROTHER HIS DO.

I SAID, “I SEE YOU’VE TRAVELED EAST HE SAID,
” I HAVE, HAVE YOU?”

I SAID, I HAVE, AND IN MY DAY BEFORE THE ALL SEEING SUN,
I PLAYED IN THE RUBBLE WITH JUBALA, JUBALO AND JUBALUM.

HE SHOUTED, “DON’T LAUGH AT THE WORK MY SON IT’S GOOD AND SWEET AND TRUE.” AND IF YOU’VE TRAVELED AS YOU SAID YOU SHOULD GIVE THESE THINGS THEIR DUE.

THE WORD, THE SIGN, THE TOKEN, THE SWEET MASONIC PRAYER.
THE VOW THAT ALL HAVE TAKEN WHO HAVE CLIMBED THE INNER STAIR.

THE WAGES OF A MASON ARE NEVER PAID IN GOLD,
BUT THE GAIN COMES FROM CONTENTMENT WHEN YOU’RE WEAK AND GROWING OLD.

YOU SEE I’VE CARRIED MY OBLIGATIONS FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS,
IT HAS HELPED ME THROUGH THE HARDSHIPS AND THE FAILURES FULL OF TEARS.

NOW I’M LOSING MY MIND AND MY BODY DEATH IS NEAR,
BUT I DON’T DESPAIR; I’VE LIVED MY LIFE UPON THE LEVEL,
AND I’M DYING ON THE SQUARE.

SOMETIMES, THE GREATEST LESSONS ARE THOSE THAT ARE LEARNED ANEW, AND THE OLD MAN IN THE PARK TODAY HAS CHANGED MY POINT OF VIEW.

TO ALL MASONIC BROTHERS; THE ONLY SECRET IS TO CARE.
MAY YOU LIVE UPON THE LEVEL.
MAY YOU PART UPON THE SQUARE.

08/20/2020

Seek Light you must.../G

08/04/2020

COPIED FROM ANOTHER LODGE.
UPDATED RITUAL (CV-19):

Where is the position of the outer guard or Tyler? Outside the door of the lodge. His duty?

Armed with a 2m sword to see off all coughers.

Where is the position of the Inner Guard? Within the entrance. His duty? To admit the uninfected on proof, receive the candidates duly masked and obey commands of the Junior Doctor.

Where is the position of the Junior Deacon. 2m away from the SW. And his duty?

To carry all soap of the WM from the SW to the JW, and see their hands are punctually cleaned.

Where is the position of the Senior Deacon? 2m to the right of the WM. And his duty?

To bear the soap of the WM to the SW and await the hand washing of the JD.

Bro JW – where is your your constant place in the Lodge- the South. Why are you so placed? To mark the position of the soap. To call Brethren from soap to sink, and sink to towel, that clean hands may be the result

Bro SW, where is your your constant your place in the lodge, The West. Why are you so placed?

To ensure that brethren are masked, tested, and regularly clean the lodge by the command of the WM, having seen that everyone remains exactly 2m apart from each other.

Immediate past master where is the Master’s place? The East. Why is he so placed?

As the virus sprung from the East, leading us to isolation, so the Worshipful Master is placed in the East, to make sure all vulnerable masons are duly shielded, commanding them to remain at home, protect our temples and save lives.

Brethren, the isolation of the lodge being duly sanitized, let us, remain 2m apart, duly isolated and wait for a vaccine to arrive.

So mote it be 😂
(Repost)

07/03/2020

Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team

Around the year of 1948 there was a group of Oklahoma Indians that got together to put on some Masonic Degree work. It was very well received by those who witnessed the effort. In 1950 , part of the 1948 group decided to form the Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team. Every year since, the Team has traveled all over the U.S. and Europe to put on the Maser Mason Degree. In the past, until now, there has been comparatively little change in Team. The Directors have been Fred Hays, Bunny Manly, Bob Archiquette, Ron Chambers, Terry Adams and currently Donald R. (Butch) McIntosh. Raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason and added to the Team in 1959, Bob Archiquette who has been with us at almost every one of the Team's Degrees and is still participating with the Team. The Team also consist of 13 Past Masters and the other are in line at the present time. The Team has never charged for their work and will not do mock Degrees. One of our largest degrees put on previously, was a count of approximately 4,500 brethren present and that was in Delaware, some times we have done the Degree when the Team has outnumbered the people in the lodge. Regardless we still put on the same degree.

The Team is not made up of members from any one Lodge, but from several. All the Brothers must live in the State of Oklahoma and be willing to travel two and occasionally three weekends a month, if the Team can travel from Tulsa to a Lodge in an hour, we will work week nights. This amount of travel time during a year can be stressful on home life, but we have a very supportive "home team". On occasion, the "home team" gets to "go on the road"; that is to say the wives of the Team get invited to visit when the ladies of the Lodge members for whom the Team is doing the Degree work. It is through this fellowship that many long-standing friendship, for both the members and the wives, have been built. Team members genuinely enjoy getting to know their Brethren from other states and finding kindred spirits in Masonry.

Since the early 60's the Team has had picture postcards available as a memento of their degree work. The donations received through these help to pay for their travels. Lately, they have added lapel pins, ballcaps, and coins as another souvenir. When the Team travels out of state, they ask the requesting Lodge pay for travel, food and lodging. In recent years , members of the Team have put on a traditional Indian dance programs and Story telling of legends and tales to help some of the Lodges defray part of the cost of their travel. This has been a favorite, not only of the Lodge members, but also their ladies and family members. This is the only time that the ladies and children can see the Team members in their authentic tribal regalia or dance clothes. The Team often visits the Shrine hospitals located near the Degree work. They enjoy their talks with the kids and staff, ans perform their dance programs for them.

The Native American Nations represented on the team are Apache, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Keetoowah, Oneida, Ottawa, Quapaw, Shawnee. In the past members have been Delaware, Kaw, Kiowa, Pawnee and Ponca.

This is "The oldest Degree Team" in existence today, and mostly that is because as a Team the group has never stopped or had a break since inception - over fifty year ago. The OMIDT have raised over 900 to the Master Mason Degree. THEY ARE the only known Indian Degree Team.